Top 7 Wins In FIU Football History

Since FIU has a bye this week, thought about taking the opportunity to rank FIU's top 7 wins in program history. The Golden Panthers turn 7 years old after this season is complete, so 7 sounds like an appropriate number.

You can play along on-line at home or at work and tell us your rankings and then vote at the end of this post for what you think is the greatest win in FIU football history. Also, we're still taking suggestions for naming T.Y. & Junior's game-winning play on Saturday. Got some names in the last post, but will keep the suggestion box open until the end of the week.

Top 7FIU Wins

7. FIU 38, Western Kentucky 35 (2005)

Hilltoppers tie the game 35-35 with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter. FIU QB Josh Padrick completes passes of 28 yards and 21 yards to Chandler Williams to get the Golden Panthers down to the WKU 18. With :02 left in the game, kicker Adam Moss (left) -- who received a scholarship from FIU after hitting former coach Don Strock's car with field goals at the parking lot of American Heritage High -- nails a 36-yard field goal to win it.

6. FIU 52, Florida Atlantic 6 (2005)

They say a rivalry only becomes a rivalry when both teams win. After 3 tries, the Golden Panthers finally beat the Owls and in record-breaking fashion. FIU returns 4 interceptions for touchdowns to tie an NCAA record. Keyonvis Bouie, Lionell Singleton, Nick Turnbull and Marshall McDuffie all get pick 6s to wallop FAU.

5. FIU 38, North Texas 19 (2007)

The Golden Panthers were not going to let the grand Orange Bowl go out a loser in the final college football game played at the historic stadium. Behind an aggressive FIU D led by Audric Adger's 4 sacks and an opportunistic offense with Paul McCall's 3 touchdown passes, the Golden Panthers sent the Orange Bowl out a winner and ended what was then the nation's longest losing streak at 23 games. FIU also gave new head coach Mario Cristobal (right) his first college win.

4. FIU 22, Youngstown State 16 (2004)

The first road win in program history saw FIU's backup QB do an impersonation of his head coach, a former Miami Dolphins backup QB. With the Golden Panthers struggling on offense and down 16-3 at halftime, former FIU coach Don Strock brings backup QB David Tabor -- FIU's 1st ever recruit -- into the game. Tabor completes 15 of 22 passes for 174 yards and 3 TDs in the second half to rally FIU to a season opening win.

3. FIU 31, Louisiana-Monroe 29 (2005)

The game that showed FIU could play Division I football by getting its first win against a Division I opponent. On the road against the Indians (ULM is now known as the Warhawks), the Golden Panthers fell behind 6-0 in the first quarter, but never trailed after that and at one point built a 24-9 lead. Former FIU safety Nick Turnbull (left) returned a fumble 73 yards for a touchdown to extend the FIU lead to 14-6 in the 2nd quarter.

2. FIU 27, St. Peter's 3 (2002)

The game that started it all. For years, FIU students wanted a college football team and they finally got one on August 29, 2002. Before a Sun Sports TV audience and a sold out FIU Stadium, the Golden Panthers rolled by scoring 27 points in the first half. Former FB Jerrid Lundstedt caught a 5-yard TD pass from Jamie Burke (right) with 8:18 left in the 1st quarter for the first-ever FIU touchdown. Burke would score the 2nd FIU TD on this 6-yard touchdown run (right) later in the 1st quarter.

1. FIU 22, Arkansas State 21 (2008)

A little anti-climactic since this was the subject of the previous blog. But again, FIU's ability to overcome a 9-point 4th quarter deficit after going 8 times deep into ASU territory and not being able to score one touchdown. Especially, after falling apart when adversity struck the previous 2 weeks vs. Troy and Louisiana. Also, the win kept FIU's chances at its first-ever bowl game alive and produced probably the most memorable play in FIU history, which we have yet to give a proper name to. "The Hilton Heave", "The Goodbye Money Ball" or whatever name we vote on was just an amazing play by probably the best freshman in FIU history.

GOLDEN PANTHER PAWSE

So what did you think? You can re-rank these wins or add another by posting a comment. Vote on the greatest win in FIU history below the Pawse.

Me (no, not me personally, some GPP reader named Me) posted on the previous blog the link to voting for T.Y. Hilton for Freshman of the Year on CBSsportsline. CBS has narrowed down their choices for Freshman of the Year to 5 players. Click on Vote T.Y. for Freshman of the Year